New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-07
CAPT. WILLIAMS ON TRIAL.
INEFrlcIEyCY AND NEGLECT CHARGED.
ACCUSED by "owxKRs AND BUSINESS MEN ZONE

Tbirtieh street Squad is on trial at
he never fails draw crowd. His popularity has out
lived trials than have fallen to the lot OF any other
policeman Of high rank Although It was opprcssively
warm In the trial room at Headquarters yesterday the
rvom filed almost to overlooking with persons who
were interested In some In this latest trial OF
CAPTAIN wIlliamH Several sat In the audience
aud listened with attention The four Commissioners,
President presiding at the head OF the
shaped table inside the railing Captain Williams,
in uniform sat at their left beside his counsel Ehu
Root and calmly faced Lawyer Moss and jules Chatean
on the opposite side of the horseshoe Near at hand
Detective Price and number OF citizens OF the
Nineteenth Precinct. who friendly to Captain VIII
iasns They glared at members OF the Owners aud
Business Mems Association of West Twentyseventh-st
present to support Messrs Moss and Chatean
In the complaint against the big captain.
IL was 1920 a. IN. when Complaint Clerk
Peterson read the long charges OF "ln-
efficiency and conduct unbecoming an officer" They
embraced nine separate specifications. but the glst OF
them was Captain Williams bad been careless about
the disordery in Twenty seventh Thirty and
Thirty second sts between Sixth and Seventh ayes;
that he had used abusive language to Mr. Chstean when
com plant was about the houses and Mr. Chatean
obliged to organize the Owners and Business Mems
Association IN order 10 work reform; that James Is
and other who went to the police station
10 make complaints about houses OF evil resort were not
listened by the csptan that pool and gambling rooms
were allowed In precinct and that the captain failed
10 close I'D tho "dive" at No SOC Sixthave Edgar B.
Ill., who assisted Lawer Moss in the prosecution made
an opening speech TO the Commissioners declaring that
the charges out OF personal annosty
toward Captain wiliams The object OF the prosecution
was TO discover why had been permitted to
exist In that part the city, he said There was screw
loose in The Police Department and II the intention
OF the complainants show that Captain Williams was
the screw.
Mr. Moss was the first witness He described the work
OF purifying West Twenty seyenhst AM asserted thai
1t was all done by owners ami Business Mems Asso
citation OF who he is the secretary In one year he SAID
worked reform which the police had not
accomplished during all years previous, although
many complaints had been made TO tho captain st
present" the witness said, " the condition OF West
Twenty-sevenhs is not altogether satisfactory but
person can walk through the street without being ex
posed to insults"
Mr. Moss-I know OF nothing that hs did to help u
Letters from the Rev. Howard Crosby o. b Potter. W.
W. Aston Theodore Roosevelt aud Robert Ray Hamilton
Endorsing OF Mr. Moss AMI his colleagues In the
organization were read Mr. Moss SAID that there had
been many vile resorts in West Thirty rst and thirty
second sta there had been marked Improvement In
both streets since he complaint against the captain wa:
made A scrapbook ned with newspap,r accounts OF
the work of the owners aud Business Mems Association
was offered In evidence but tho Commits oners declined 70
after Mr Root had offered to onset ~ scrap
book OF his which contained much aHcgol iniorIna
ton about the entire Police department
about rails which w sg9a n nAS 10
said he wishe1 to test tue accuracy OF Mr.
Moss statement that nothing had been done
by the captain % PETTY me street ana ana iSsr vita he
work o, puridoation was IN progress Ihen MI itoot
West Tweutyseventh-st, owned by Mr.. Chatelan. had
not been included In the let OF dsordorly places men
toned In the charges. Regarding No los be asked;
II. owner had been Ddctsdi A-Sss this 10
-Alihoaeh member Of ne A..oca'ion which raIsd Tho
other aer houses chsts as Ss's5 suggested RAD On
a @NS al not mention i.s s,, ANo
o-Hsyen't The OCCUPANTS e.cs na'ssa' A-So' 10 my
In subsequent question Mr.. Root implied that raids
had been made o. both house, by cspsa william, since
they belonged to Mr.. ChAelan. Mr. ho.s thought the
raids we're made before Mr. Ohatean became the owner
The witness when confronted with reports that two
places Thirty secondst mentioned AS disordery we're
stables, said that dsreputabc women parsdcd In mont
of them.
Association. testified as TO the condition OF West twenty
seventh wheu he went 20 live there n 1854 He said
ne nTsg zoe make some raids in ,se in
1884, ou, permanent good was accomplished until the
much emphasis and he got angry under cross e1amina
ton when he led into the admission that he onre had
assocaon about the character occupants Of the
house No. 1876 West Twenty which belonged
Two negroes who were called witnesses for the
ecution. excited dsr.ve laughter IN the courtroom BY
failing 10 they expected 70 say Both
had made aidsvits regarding houses IN West Twenty
seventhst but as soon a: they reached the wines
Jams they wited and "disromembered" everything.
Thomas Jarrstt one OF we unhappy eoorea men w -
an utter loss Of recollection Tho Other named Gibbs.
until he had studied 1t sveral mi nuies and could
not remember what he had previously sworn TO-
Thirty arst st. and Dr. r. IL sayre who had taken hand
in game at West Twenty-seyenthst testified regard
That must have beef doctors game" remarked Mr.
Root.
man responded refused testify, saying that his
name yss not Wells and he knew! knew nothing hn
PsySd R s m. So.s.ss r1.sss,
was we'll managed and had bsen getting better while
S bad S s e "A D"d
for disorisrly persona although a number OF complaints
had made Captain williams about ths place gu,
5sordey places In tho Nineecnth Precinct, which Cap
s Mr na he aa Ss ss LET a
Williams
Mr. Root-How long have you been polics'nan' A.
Gis The Nineteenth Precinct than IL
twenty years agoi A-bh
Inspector Steers who was captain Of tho Tirtieth-
Street Squad at said there were eghtynve re-
pnted dsodsry houses In the preciaot when he turned
several Young sen who had paid visits to houses In
STa ane One Of hs@ nephew OF ar cSa,san
said that his expenses had been paid BY his uncle
the McAnley isson told be had been aecosted by
women In thirty and he repeated what they said
TO make the witness understand asked how Mr. Weeks
could make out what the women said. Mr. Weeks said
he was Young man once and he able yet TO under
stand the soft speech OF woman much oeier than the
loud talk of = lawyer
Tpdartaker James b. Smith said he had complained TO
Captain Williams about places ia Thirty xtst but got
no satisfaction Thon no complained to Mayor Hewitt
and the cleared, but Thirty second At ~
than before.
Father Piatoria Of the Roman Catholic church In West
Thrty.nrstst. testified that attendance Mt his church
interrupted by the bad women in tho street On his
complaint Captain williams had arrested some
of the women, but they were discharged He
euangcd In apparent mistake about the testimony
which he thought Captain williams had given In
court the showing that tho captain did testify
ut all II announced by tho prosecution that tho
Rev Dr. Howard Crosby and ID j. Whitney. OF the So
cety for Prevention OF Crime who had been expected
TO appear witnesses, absent from the city some
OF Captain Wliamss friends said that Dr. Crosby had
his mind about charges he expected TO
bolster up Mr. Chaelan did not 90 ON the stand, much
70 the disappointment OF Captain Williams and MI Root,
who expected 10 wiring damaging admissions IRON
him in the Examination CatharDe A. Humphreys,
of No 337 West Thirty fifth testified TO the bad
character Of Meat Thirty -frst-sL